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Film & Broadcast Glossary

Film & Broadcast is about telling stories – whether fiction or factual. This combines high standards of training in production skills to make programs – dramas and documentaries for radio, television and cinema

Film & Broadcast

RMS (root-mean-square)

Effective sound pressure. (Acoustics)

Film & Broadcast

Room Tone

The “noise” of a room, set or location where dialog is recorded during Production. Used by film and dialog editors as a “bed” to form a continuous tone through a particular scene. This is often confused with ambience, which might be sound effects and/or reverberation added when the dialog is mixed.

Film & Broadcast

Rough cut

A preliminary trial stage in the process of editing a film. Shots are laid out in approximate relationship to an end product without detailed attention to the individual cutting points. (Film Editing)

Film & Broadcast

Run of the Picture

A cast member whose work may be required any of the days scheduled for principal photography without incurring liability for additional compensation.

Film & Broadcast

Rushes

This refers to daily prints of a film used for evaluation purposes. (Laboratory)

Film & Broadcast

Score

The original-music composition for a motion picture or television production which is generally recorded after the picture has been edited.

Film & Broadcast

Scrim

A metal ‘window screen’ that can be placed in front of a lighting unit to decrease the lighting intensity by a predetermined amount. (Grip/Lighting)

Film & Broadcast

Scrub

Moving a piece of tape or magnetic film back and forth over a sound head to locate a specific cue or word.

Film & Broadcast

Scrub Wheel

A mechanical control for scrubbing film or magnetic tape.

Film & Broadcast

SDDS

Sony Dynamic Digital Sound System. A film sound format which encodes eight tracks of digital audio outside of the sprocket holes on both edges of a film print. (Sound)

Film & Broadcast

Second Unit

A photographic team that shoots scenes which do not involve the principal cast, such as stunts, car chases, or establishing shots.

Film & Broadcast

Senior

A 5K fresnel lighting unit. (Lighting)

Film & Broadcast

Senior Stand

A braced junior stand sufficiently rugged for large lights such as a 5K, 10K, or ‘Big Eye’. (Grip/Lighting)

Film & Broadcast

Sensitivity

An indication of recording or playback efficiency as might be measure of a microphone or audio tape recorder.

Film & Broadcast

Sequencer

The hardware or software based brain of a MIDI studio. It receives, stores and plays back MIDI information in a desired sequence.

Film & Broadcast

Set Dressing

Items of decoration which are not designated in the script or by the director as part of specific action. (Production)

Film & Broadcast

Set Up

Each discrete position of the camera, excluding those in which a dolly or crane is used to move the camera during filming. (Production)

Film & Broadcast

Shiny Boards

A grip reflector used for reaiming sunlight to provide a key or fill light. (Grip/Lighting)

Film & Broadcast

Shotgun Mic

A highly directional microphone, usually with a long, tubular body; used by the production sound mixer on location or on the set for film and television productions.

Film & Broadcast

Showcard

A white artists’ cardboard which is used as a reflector or for making other special rigs. It is easily cut and formed. (Grip/Lighting)

Film & Broadcast

Siamese

A splitter that divides a power line into two parts. (Grip/Lighting)